Top 5 Vikings Free Agent Options at Linebacker
It might not be a glaring need compared to other positions like cornerback, defensive line, or guard, but linebacker is a position where the Vikings need to make a move. The depth at the position is slim and should be earmarked for improvement.
Top 5 Vikings Free Agent Options at Linebacker
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah struck gold in last year’s free agency by bringing Blake Cashman home to Minnesota. Partnered with Ivan Pace, who has been a success story since signing as an undrafted free agent two years ago. Cashman and Pace give the Vikings a strong starting duo at linebacker.
Behind them are slim pickings, and with both Cashman and Pace missing games last season, it’s an issue that needs resolving to ensure the middle of the field remains well-defended at all times.
Kamu Grugier-Hill deputized when they were injured last term and did well early in the season. However, he tailed off towards the end. The 30-year-old is a free agent and may be back for at least the training camp, but Minnesota should be in search of an upgrade.
That seems unlikely to come from Brian Asamoah, who was a third-round pick back in 2022, but he hasn’t been able to push for a major role on this Vikings defense and has instead become somewhat of a special teams specialist.
Minnesota brought in Jamin Davis for a short spell last season but released him after he appeared in four games when the New York Jets claimed him off of waivers. The Vikings also asked Josh Metellus and Andrew Van Ginkel to sometimes drop in at LB.
If Minnesota wants to compete with the best teams in the NFL, then linebacker is an area where the depth needs to improve. If they do that in free agency, these are the best options.
5. Ernest Jones
It was a strange year for Ernest Jones in 2024, as he was traded twice. The Rams traded Jones to the Titans before the season, and the Titans sent him to the Seahawks before the trade deadline. He’s clearly a player who needs to find a home, and after a bright start to his career, he hits free agency after a turbulent year. He notched 4.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss for the Rams in 2023.
Jones is a productive thumping linebacker who’d give great competition to Pace and be a long-term option at 26 years old.
4. Robert Spillane
Veteran linebacker Robert Spillane would offer a more short-term option if the Vikings hope for continued development from Pace but want to add short-term strength. The 29-year-old was a top-five linebacker in snaps played and total tackles in 2024, with a strong 87.3 PFF run-defense grade. Spillane is not so good in coverage, which could be an issue in Minnesota unless they carve him out a role where he comes downhill and does what he does best.
Over the past two seasons, Spillane’s 114 solo tackles, 66 stops, and 21 tackles for loss or no gain against the run are all top-10 marks among linebackers, and he’s the only linebacker in the top 15 of any of those categories with a missed tackle rate of 5% or lower.
3. Nick Bolton
Nick Bolton has been a staple at the middle linebacker spot almost from day one in Kansas City, with two Super Bowl rings to show from four seasons in the league. Another bruising LB when coming downhill, Bolton is a bit stiff when flipping his hips and can get picked on at times in coverage.
Bolton does it all with 458 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 4 interceptions across four seasons in Missouri. He will turn 25 soon and is worth a long-term commitment for a solid player if the Vikings can strike a deal that works.
2. Dre Greenlaw
The most talented LB available hits the market after missing virtually all of the 2024 season due to a torn Achilles. Dre Greenlaw had proved himself a top linebacker who particularly excelled in coverage across the previous couple of seasons. Greenlaw’s market will be interesting because of his injury history, but he’ll have a real shot of playing at a premier level if he stays healthy.
The question is how much will teams be willing to pay on the back of his injury and whether that prices the Vikings out.
1. Jamien Sherwood
Jamien Sherwood has emerged as a safety-to-linebacker convert for the Jets in a similar way to Metellus – though Sherwood has gone into a full linebacker role. He was a rare bright spot in a disappointing year for the New York teams. Sherwood had a career year at the best possible time – entering free agency – with 158 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks.
He was strong in all facets of defense in 2024, and his aggressive style should be a good fit in Brian Flores’s defense, where his coverage ability from the position would be most welcome.
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